“Then they’ll be prepared,” said Darkness, “but they can’t stop now. Too much rides on their plan. They’re committed.”
“There’s still an adjustment team back there somewhere.”
“The last place they were was at the Malakand fort. I tried to home in on Priest’s symbiotracer, and as I said, only found his grave. The regiment had already departed for Chakdarra. I couldn’t manifest because there were several other soldiers present. They were on their way to Peshawar with dispatches.”
“None of the dispatches from the Malakand have been getting through,” said Phoenix. “Drakov’s tribesmen have been intercepting them.”
“They could easily have teleported if they ran into trouble,” Darkness said.”But we’re overlooking something. Your agents are all unaccounted for, except for the two with you who were killed. I knew there was something I was forgetting! If all three of them were taken out, it suggests the possibility that our friends from the alternate timeline have a means of tracing warp discs. Probably by scanning for them in the same manner Search and Retrieve units conduct their sweeps.”
“Which means they could have taken out the adjustment team,” said Phoenix.
“Perhaps not. Drakov was going to turn you over for interrogation. An adjustment team would clearly be more valuable to them alive than dead, for the same may have taken your agents prisoner, as reason. They as well.”
“Assuming they’re alive,” said Phoenix, “what are the chances they’re still in our timeline?”
“Impossible to say.” said Darkness. “If there are soldiers from the alternate timeline active in that area, they must have a base of operations somewhere. I’d guess it would be close to the confluence, which narrows the area down to the vicinity of the Khyber Pass. I’ll conduct a search. Meanwhile, do you think you could infiltrate Drakov’s forces without being recognized?”
“No problem, long as I don’t get close enough to Drakov so he can get a good look at me. He’s got thousands of men. I’ll just blend in with the crowd as an Afridi.”
“Good. Here’s the plan then. I’ll take you back there, then tach to Plus Time and warn Director Vargas. Then I’ll try to find the confluence point and the enemy base of operations. I’ll simply search the entire area of the Khyber Pass at light speed. I’ll give you a replacement warp disc and a molecular disruptor. Try to get close to Drakov without being spotted.”
“And the moment they make their move, I hit him,” Phoenix said
“Exactly.’
“Okay, what are we waiting for? Let’s go.”
Mulvaney groaned and rolled over. “Where in the bloomin’ blazes are we?”
“Sahib Finn!” cried Din.
“I’m coming, Din,” Delaney said. Andre followed him down the stairs, back into the tomblike chamber.
“A fine bloody state of affairs this is,” said Learoyd, sitting up slowly. “How did we get here? Wherever ‘here’ is.”
“We’re being held prisoner in an old temple high above the Khyber Pass,” said Finn.
“The Khyber?” said Learoyd. “Have we been out so long then?”
“Look ‘ere, sir,” Mulvaney said to Finn, “what’s ‘appened to us? What’s goin’ on ‘ere?”
“We’ve fallen into the hands of enemy soldiers,” Finn said. “Soldiers who are using the tribesmen for their own purposes.”
“What’s their aim?” said Learoyd.
“Apparently they’re out to undermine our control of the frontier,” Delaney said. He had to improvise. He tried to think how much he could get away with telling them.
“That one officer was American,” Learoyd said. “It makes no damn sense. Why would the Americans do such a thing?”
“Some of them might be Americans,” said Delaney, “but I don’t believe it’s an American unit. They weren’t wearing American uniforms. They seem to be a mixed bunch. Soldiers of fortune, perhaps.”
“The Russians,” said Learoyd. “That must be it. They’re in the pay of the Russians.”
“I shouldn’t be surprised,” said Finn. “However, knowing that won’t help us much right now.”
“What do they intend to do with us?” Ortheris said.
“I don’t know,” said Finn. “Question us, most likely. Find out about troop strength and the like, I should imagine.”